How to Create Your Own Virtual Dinosaur
Dinosaurs have long held a fascination for many of us as human beings, particularly because we've never seen a real one before. There are movies, books, games, television shows and songs about dinosaurs, and there are plenty of museums throughout the world that house the bones of these extinct creatures. One way to learn about dinosaurs from the comfort of your own home is to create a virtual dinosaur. Creating virtual dinosaurs is a fun, educational and interactive way for kids and adults alike to learn about dinosaurs and speculate what it might have been like to live alongside them.
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Instructions
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Create a dinosaur using the program on the KidsDinos.com website. Pick a name for your dinosaur and then click on the various sections, which will allow you to choose its body, head, feet and tail. A similar website is BetheDinosaur.net, which allows its users to design and paint virtual dinosaurs. Both of these programs are minimal virtual dinosaur creators, because once the dinosaur is created, the exercise is complete.
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Dig up your own dinosaur using the Smithsonian's interactive tool. The link is found below. Follow the instructions to begin uncovering the fossils of the dinosaur. Once they have been uncovered and dusted off, you can preserve the skeleton in plaster and virtually transport it back to the museum. Then you can use the tools to reconstruct the dinosaur while learning about the different bones and parts of its body. Once the dinosaur is complete, you can look at a slideshow of artists' renderings of dinosaurs.
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Play a virtual dinosaur game on DinoSawUs, which allows you to first create your own dinosaur with a name and the gender of your choice. Each dinosaur is also given a secret identity, and you can choose the age and birthday of the dinosaur. The created dinosaur can be saved with a password, which allows for future game play. Within this virtual world, you can travel to other areas, meet other virtual dinosaurs and challenge them at tasks and games, all while making friends and accruing points.
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Raise a dinosaur from egg to adult with Dino Haven. You will begin with a balance of 100 DNA points, which you can use to eventually create your own dinosaur species. Along the way, you can collect points for taking care of your dinosaur and meet other dinosaurs. When your dinosaur is fully mature, you have the ability to mate with other dinosaurs and create new ones.
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References
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